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Underage drinking offenses in Pennsylvania

News Article

February 07, 2025

Over the past five years, underage drinking offenses statewide totaled 33,714. In Pennsylvania, an underage drinking offense is issued to anyone under the age of 21 who is caught possessing, consuming, transporting, purchasing or attempting to purchase any alcoholic beverage. These numbers do not include driving under the influence offenses.

The infographic below highlights key data and demographics about underage drinking in Pennsylvania. Download a high-resolution version of the graphic.

County-specific data is available at the end of the news release.

infographic of underage drinking offenses in Pennsylvania

PA Courts InfoShare is a monthly product of the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC) that visually highlights the work of the courts with interesting data and statistics obtained through the judiciary’s case management systems, interactive dashboards and other research. Reproduction is encouraged with source cited.

Media contact: Olivia Antonucci, 609-238-5182

Editor’s Note:

Statewide number of Title 18 Section 6308 A (Purch Etc Alcoh Bev By A Minor) offenses filed from 1/1/2019 through 12/31/2023, as recorded in the Magisterial District Judge System (MDJS) and Common Pleas Case Management System (CPCMS).
County	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	Total	Percentage of Overall
Adams	123	84	79	65	91	442	1.31%
Allegheny	707	430	466	530	558	2,691	7.98%
Armstrong	28	18	21	25	24	116	0.34%
Beaver	81	49	68	60	82	340	1.01%
Bedford	16	5	11	15	29	76	0.23%
Berks	248	153	125	154	138	818	2.43%
Blair	161	132	73	94	130	590	1.75%
Bradford	18	22	16	17	15	88	0.26%
Bucks	285	178	140	119	181	903	2.68%
Butler	278	142	157	176	229	982	2.91%
Cambria	97	50	61	43	52	303	0.90%
Cameron	0	0	2	0	0	2	0.01%
Carbon	15	29	22	7	18	91	0.27%
Centre	1,113	446	665	613	807	3,644	10.81%
Chester	570	295	489	552	567	2,473	7.34%
Clarion	66	37	30	42	64	239	0.71%
Clearfield	46	25	32	12	12	127	0.38%
Clinton	46	23	22	42	25	158	0.47%
Columbia	335	147	103	118	124	827	2.45%
Crawford	41	62	58	72	63	296	0.88%
Cumberland	259	213	205	260	218	1,155	3.43%
Dauphin	251	129	129	268	318	1,095	3.25%
Delaware	622	219	210	199	174	1,424	4.22%
Elk	24	23	23	12	26	108	0.32%
Erie	177	148	140	133	148	746	2.21%
Fayette	37	39	16	46	51	189	0.56%
Forest	1	1	0	0	0	2	0.01%
Franklin	60	56	38	44	68	266	0.79%
Fulton	8	0	5	5	10	28	0.08%
Greene	18	3	8	5	16	50	0.15%
Huntingdon	31	28	16	19	9	103	0.31%
Indiana	249	112	129	152	140	782	2.32%
Jefferson	23	12	20	17	14	86	0.26%
Juniata	9	10	16	23	14	72	0.21%
Lackawanna	296	107	149	162	184	898	2.66%
Lancaster	254	151	141	188	208	942	2.79%
Lawrence	33	36	32	10	15	126	0.37%
Lebanon	57	37	29	35	29	187	0.55%
Lehigh	98	40	44	67	91	340	1.01%
Luzerne	112	99	77	112	110	510	1.51%
Lycoming	88	52	67	40	72	319	0.95%
McKean	53	50	32	43	39	217	0.64%
Mercer	70	42	49	34	40	235	0.70%
Mifflin	23	21	24	30	47	145	0.43%
Monroe	68	37	44	40	31	220	0.65%
Montgomery	402	295	235	244	245	1,421	4.21%
Montour	13	4	8	4	9	38	0.11%
Northampton	178	118	117	89	117	619	1.84%
Northumberland	62	63	42	32	44	243	0.72%
Perry	20	17	14	21	3	75	0.22%
Philadelphia	433	168	300	288	275	1,464	4.34%
Pike	11	14	6	3	12	46	0.14%
Potter	10	22	18	18	5	73	0.22%
Schuylkill	73	35	17	36	27	188	0.56%
Snyder	37	38	15	13	36	139	0.41%
Somerset	50	44	12	56	64	226	0.67%
Sullivan	3	0	0	0	1	4	0.01%
Susquehanna	19	37	15	9	7	87	0.26%
Tioga	28	18	23	17	14	100	0.30%
Union	87	59	68	36	50	300	0.89%
Venango	17	27	14	19	15	92	0.27%
Warren	23	11	16	13	16	79	0.23%
Washington	677	93	182	197	259	1,408	4.18%
Wayne	17	11	8	2	17	55	0.16%
Westmoreland	142	113	126	100	100	581	1.72%
Wyoming	6	7	7	5	16	41	0.12%
York	246	225	142	170	201	984	2.92%
Grand Total	9,749	5,411	5,668	6,072	6,814	33,714	100.00%

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